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Sharks look to tie series with Kings in Game 4

For all that the San Jose Sharks accomplished with their victory in Game 3, they know it will mean very little if they don't back that win up with another against the defending Stanley Cup champion Kings.

SAN JOSE, Calif. (AP) — For all that the San Jose Sharks accomplished with their overtime victory over Los Angeles in Game 3, they know it will mean very little if they don't back that win up with another at home against the defending Stanley Cup champion Kings.

"We haven't accomplished anything," Sharks coach Todd McLellan said. "We didn't get our work done in LA, and that put us behind the eight ball. The fact that we win Game 3, that's great, but we still are behind in the series and the series is getting shorter. The lifeline wasn't as long as it was in the past. We've just got to find a way to get even. If our intensity or urgency drops because we've won a single game, I would be disappointed in our group."

After taking it easy the day after San Jose's 2-1 win, both teams stepped up preparation on Monday in advance of Game 4 on Tuesday night at the Shark Tank.

The Kings aren't about to feel complacent, considering they were less than 2 minutes away from losing Game 2 at home and have won just once in 10 road games since March.

"We can't rest and just be comfortable with being a good home team," forward Justin Williams said. "We need to be killers on the road. Coming back with a 3-1 lead is certainly something we're going to do our darnedest to do."

The Kings came close to getting that elusive road win in Game 3 on Saturday when they fell in overtime after being called for two penalties in the final minute of regulation to set up Logan Couture's power-play goal in overtime.

The second of those penalties particularly irked the Kings, who contend Trevor Lewis was pushed into San Jose goalie Antti Niemi by Patrick Marleau and shouldn't have been called for goaltender interference.

That came one game after the Sharks complained about a late delay of game call on Marc-Edouard Vlasic that gave the Kings a two-man advantage and eventually led to two goals that gave Los Angeles a 4-3 win.

The Kings look to rebound from their disappointment the same way the Sharks did from theirs.

"There's zero momentum," Kings coach Darryl Sutter said. "Once you get in the playoffs, there's zero momentum unless somebody is way better than somebody, and as you see, nobody is. If there's a carry-over, then you're probably not a playoff team."

The home teams have won all three games so far this series and both teams are undefeated at home in the postseason this year. The Sharks have been dominant all season on home ice, going 17-2-5 in the regular season that included two wins over Los Angeles.

The biggest reason for the home success has been a potent power play that has been far more efficient at the Shark Tank than on the road. San Jose has scored on an NHL-best 28.4 percent of power plays at home during the regular and postseason compared to just 13.6 percent on the road.

The difference has been even more stark in the postseason where the Sharks are 8-for-20 on the power play at home and just 1-for-16 on the road, including 0-for-7 the first two games in Los Angeles. San Jose did score one goal 5 seconds after the end of a power play in Game 2 against the Kings.

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The Blackhawks mob Brent Seabrook after his series-winning overtime goal defeated the Red Wings in Game 7 in Chicago. Seabrook's winner gave Chicago a 2-1 win and clinched a 4-3 series victory.
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Los Angeles Kings goalie Jonathan Quick covers the puck as San Jose Sharks defenseman Brent Burns skates into the crease during third period action in Game 7 at Staples Center.
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Actor Tom Cruise looks on as San Jose Sharks center Logan Couture breaks the stick of Los Angeles Kings right wing Dustin Brown after a check in the second period of Game 7 at Staples Center.
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Chicago Blackhawks center Andrew Shaw (65) and Detroit Red Wings defenseman Carlo Colaiacovo (28) take a tumble in the second period in game six of the second round of the 2013 Stanley Cup Playoffs at Joe Louis Arena.
Rick Osentoski, USA TODAY Sports

Detroit Red Wings defenseman Jakub Kindl (4) attempts to steal the puck away from Chicago Blackhawks left wing Brandon Saad (20) in the first period in game six of the second round of the 2013 Stanley Cup Playoffs at Joe Louis Arena.
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Chicago Blackhawks center Patrick Sharp (10) is checked by Detroit Red Wings defenseman Brendan Smith (2) during the third period in game five of the second round of the 2013 Stanley Cup Playoffs at the United Center.
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Boston Bruins forward Shawn Thornton (22) fights with New York Rangers forward Derek Dorsett (15) in game five of the second round of the 2013 Stanley Cup Playoffs at TD Garden.
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The Boston Bruins celebrate an empty net goal against the New York Rangers during the final seconds in game five of the second round of the 2013 Stanley Cup Playoffs at TD Garden. The Bruins won the game 3-1 and the series 4-1.
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Boston Bruins forward Gregory Campbell (11) celebrates after scoring a goal against New York Rangers forward Micheal Haley (32) in game five of the second round of the 2013 Stanley Cup Playoffs at TD Garden.
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New York Rangers forward Micheal Haley (32) and defenseman Dan Girardi (5) look on as referees try to break up a fight between Boston Bruins forward Shawn Thornton (22) and Rangers forward Derek Dorsett (15) in game five of the second round of the 2013 Stanley Cup Playoffs at TD Garden.
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Pittsburgh Penguins defenseman Kris Letang (left) and center Sidney Crosby (right) congratulate left wing James Neal (center) on his goal against the Ottawa Senators during the second period in Game 5.
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San Jose Sharks defenseman Jason Demers gets called for boarding on Los Angeles Kings defenseman Robyn Regehr in the second period of Game 5 of the second round at the Staples Center.
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New York Rangers players surround left wing Chris Kreider after he scores the game-winning goal against the Boston Bruins during overtime in Game 4 at Madison Square Garden.
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Boston Bruins right wing Nathan Horton celebrates with defenseman Dougie Hamilton and defenseman Torey Krug after scoring a goal against the New York Rangers in Game 4 at Madison Square Garden.
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Pittsburgh Penguins defenseman Douglas Murray (3) blocks a shot as Ottawa Senators right wing Mark Stone (16) and defenseman Chris Phillips (4) look on in the second period in game four of the second round of the 2013 Stanley Cup playoffs at Scotiabank Place.
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Pittsburgh Penguins center Evgeni Malkin (71) is knocked into the Ottawa Senators goal by defenseman Marc Methot (3) in the first period in game three of the second round of the 2013 Stanley Cup playoffs at Scotiabank Place.
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Ottawa Senators right wing Daniel Alfredsson (11) and Pittsburgh Penguins centre Sidney Crosby (87) fight for control of the puck in the first period in game four of the second round of the 2013 Stanley Cup playoffs at Scotiabank Place.
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Pittsburgh Penguins center Sidney Crosby (87) falls while chasing the puck with Ottawa Senators defenseman MarcMethot (3) in the first period in game three of the second round of the 2013 Stanley Cup playoffs at Scotiabank Place.
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Pittsburgh Penguins goalie Tomas Vokoun (92) makes a save on a shot by the Ottawa Senators in the second period in game three of the second round of the 2013 Stanley Cup playoffs at Scotiabank Place.
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Ottawa Senators defenseman Erik Karlsson (65) clears the puck following a shot on goal by the Pittsburgh Penguins in the first period in game three of the second round of the 2013 Stanley Cup playoffs at Scotiabank Place.
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Sharks center Logan Couture (39) celebrates his game-winning goal in overtime against the Kings in San Jose. Couture's winner gave San Jose a 2-1 victory and cut Los Angeles' series lead to 2-1.
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Red Wings center Valtteri Filppula (51) celebrates his third-period goal during Game 2 against the Blackhawks in Chicago. Filppula and Detroit rolled to a 4-1 win to even the series at a game apiece.
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Los Angeles Kings center Tyler Toffoli (73) celebrates after a goal by center Trevor Lewis (22) in the third period against the San Jose Sharks during game two. The Kings defeated the Sharks 4-3 to take a 2-0 series lead.
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Boston Bruins forward Nathan Horton (18) gets knocked off the puck by New York Rangers forward Brian Boyle (22) and New York Rangers forward Ryan Callahan (24) during the second period of game one.
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Defenseman Dan Boyle said there was little difference other than the final results on the power play in Game 3, when he got the scoring started with a power-play goal 4 seconds into a man advantage early in the first period and Couture ended the game with a power-play goal in overtime.

"It's about scoring goals," Boyle said. "If we don't score yesterday, you guys would be talking about how bad we are, how much we're struggling. We had some good looks in L.A., we just didn't put the puck in the net. The one goal we had, the penalty had just expired.

"The end of the day, you've just got to put the puck in the net and the first power play took, what? Three or four seconds. That's not a good power play, that's execution. It's a won faceoff, it's a guy going to the net. That's just good execution."

The Kings could get a boost with the potential return of forward Kyle Clifford, who has missed the past four games with an upper-body injury.

Clifford scored three of his seven regular-season goals this year against the Sharks and all three of his career playoff goals came in a six-game series against San Jose two years ago.

"He can give us that big physical, emotional lift that we can use right now," forward Colin Fraser said. "He's a guy that doesn't take a shift off, and he's hard to play against. I've played with him on and off for two years, and he's a big, physical player who keeps it simple. You know what you're going to get out of him every shift."

NOTES: McLellan said he would consider dressing seven defensemen with F Marty Havlat once again sidelined with a lower-body injury. D Jason Demers, who has missed the past 11 games with a lower-body injury, skated with the forwards for part of practice. ... San Jose F Adam Burish, who was ruled out of the series with a broken right hand, took part in practice and remains hopeful he could return at some point this series.